Coat-type life-preserver having removable buoyant members.



s. P. EDMQNDS. COAT TYPE LIFE PRESERVER HAVING REMOVABLE BUOYANT MEMBERS.

APPLICATION. FILED DEC.9. l9l8.

Patented Jan. 14, 1912).

amueZPEdmonds,

broken away SAMUEL P. EDMONDS, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

COAT-TYPE LIFE-PRESERVER HAVING REMOVABLE BUOYAN T MEMBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented J an. 14, 1919.

Application led December 9, 1918. Serial No. 265,933.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL P.-EDi\1oNDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State 4of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coat Type Life-Preservers Having Removable Buoyant Members, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to like preservers of the coat or jacket type which may be Worn without interfering with the movements of the body.

'lhe main purpose of this inventionis to provide a life preserver in which the buoyant portion is in the form of separate members which may be readily removed from the vouter casing so that the latter may be" washed and -kept in a sanitary condition. A urther'object is to so construct the parts that the buoyant elements in the main body portion shall be supported independently over the shoulders to preventany tendency to sag or bunch in the lower part of the coat casing.

My invention will be understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings in which-Figure l is a front elevation' of a life preserver embodying my invention.;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with certain parts to' show the interior construction;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation;

.And Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the body portions of the buoyant members.

The jacket casing is ormed with double walls consisting of the outer covering 1 and the inner lining 2, which are sewed together at their margins and also at the sides from the front and rear edges of the arm holes to the bottom of the jacket as indicated at 3 `and 4. The body of the jacket is thus formed into three pockets, one upon either side of the front and one extending across the back, the front and back pockets being connected across the shoulder portions. The

marginal stitching or seams are omitted for a Short distance along the front and back to leave openings into these pockets along the bottom between the points a, b and c, d.

The buoyant elements may able buoyant material. 'I have illustrated it in Fig. 4 as being formed of buoyant matcrial such as Illana silk or kapok suitably held in an envelop or container of appropriate fabric, the front parts 5, 5, being conneeted to the back member 7, by shoulder straps or bands 8. I may also in Some cases use cork or strips of certain light wood suitably united or bound together.

The buoyant members are placed in the casing by inserting through the opening at the bottom of the back section. The lower' ends of the front members 5 are first inserted and passed through the shoulder passages. They iuay be grasped by inserting the hands through the openings at the bottom of the front portions and pulled down into proper position, the back part 7 being there y pulled into the rear pocket. The .outer cover and lining are then fastened together `by tying the tapes 12 and 14, which 'close the openings.

As previously stated, the shoulder straps 8, support the buoyant members, maintaining them in the proper position within the pockets and preventing them from sagging down. With this construction it is unnecessary to actually fasten the buoyant members to the casing so that it may be removed quickly and without diiiiculty when desired.

The collar pai't 15 is also formed with double walls and is sewed to the neck seam of the jacket but leaving an opening 17 at the back between the points g, h, for the insertion of the buoyant collar element into the pocket formed between the outside and lining fabrics. The opposite edges at the front may be overlapped and secured together by tying the tapes 18, 19, or it may be turned back into outstanding dicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

A waist band or belt 20 may be provided which is preferably attached to the jacket only at the back at 23, sliding through loops 24, 25 and tied or otherwise joined together at the front. By leaving the belt free and unattached or secured only at the center of the back, the waist measure may be altered to suit the girth of different persons. Thus, if the life preserver is too large for the person, the belt may be drawn through the loops to the proper length to tie about the waist and this will cause the side portions between the seams 3 and 4 to ucker or `draw up in folds or plaits to tie broper but only the two thicknesses of the fabric.

position as inllO ant members independently of the rlhis construction enables the same life preserver to be accommodated to either a child or to adults of dilerent sizes.

l have described in detail the particular construction shown in the accompanying drawings for the purpose of disclosing an embodiment of my invention, but it Will be evident to engineers that various changes and modifications can be made Without departing from my invention.

l claim l. A life preserver, comprising a casing of suitable material provided YWith double Walls and constructed in jacket form with fastening means adapted to secure the right and left hand portions together at the front, and buoyant members at the back and at the front inclosed between Ythe casing Walls, said front and back members being connected by supporting members extending through the shoulder portions, which support the buoycasing.

i 2. A life preserver, comprising a casing of suitable material provided With double Walls and constructed in jacket form with fastening means adapted to secure the right and left hand portions together at the front, separate buoyant members inclosed between the Walls of the casing in the back and in each front section, supporting members eX- tending across the shoulder parts connecting the back member with each front member,

weies and an opening provided with closure devices located at the bottoni edge of the back portion.

3. A life preserver, comprising a casing of suitable material provided With doublewalls and constructed in jacket form with attached collar, the Walls being stitched together along the margins, along the collar seam and also longitudinally at the sides thereby forming inclosures or pockets in the collar part, at the back and upon each side of the front of the casing; openings being formed at the center of the collar seam, and at the bottom edge of the two front pockets and the rear pocket and separate buoyant members in each of said pockets.

a. Alife preserver comprisinga casing of suitable fabric constructed in j acket-orm and provided with double Walls stitched together along the margins, buoyant members inclosed Within the :t1-ont land back inclosures between the double Walls and connected by'shoulder bands'` the sides of the jacket being without buoyant parts and a belt surrounding the Waist portion and free from the sides so that the sides may pucker or fold when the belt is tightened about the Waist of a person having a Waist of smaller girth than the jacket..

lin testimony whereof l ailix my signature.

SAMUEL i). nnMoNns 

